FLASH: "Prabhakaran dead, Body taken to Colombo"Selvarasa Pathmanathan the new LTTE leader?

According to unconfirmed reports from Colombo, Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief V Prabhakaran is dead. A body believed to be that Vellupillai Prabhakaran has been recovered and is being taken to an army camp in Colombo. The identity of the corpse has not yet been confirmed. DNA tests results are expected. According to some sources, A friendly nation is helping with DNA refrence samples.

Sri Lankan army sources say they have recovered 150 bodies of LTTE cadres but the bodies are still being identified. Identity checks are under way.

All civilians held hostage by the LTTE have now been freed from the battle zone.

The LTTE has given contradictory versions about their claim that they had decided to silence their guns. The Pro LTTE Tamilnet quoting the LTTE’s head of International Relations, Selvarasa Pathmanathan said that they "decided to silence our guns", adding that "This battle has reached its bitter end." But a later statement on the Tamilnet website appeared to modify the rebel position. Pathmanathan said the LTTE was "prepared to silence its guns if that is what needed by the international community to save the life and dignity of the Tamil people".

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to ceremonially address nation from Parliament at 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Department of Information said.